Chapter Text
“She had never danced so elegantly before. Her tender feet felt as if cut with sharp knives, but she cared not for it; a sharper pang had pierced through her heart. (...) [She] looked towards the east for the first blush of morning, for that first ray of dawn that would bring her death.”
Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid —
“In that case, you will have the opportunity to defend your honor through a duel.” Neuvillette's voice echoed through the opera house, sealing Furina's fate, and none other than Clorinde walked on the stage to face her.
Furina closed her eyes as she sighed deeply. One couldn't spend five hundred years surrounded by talented duelists and guards without picking up some tricks, so Furina was quite capable of standing her ground against a common enemy.
But, despite her spotty training over the centuries, she knew fighting against Clorinde was tantamount to embracing her own death. The Champion Duelist would never throw a duel, but Furina refused to hurt the woman who had protected her for years, one of the few people alive that she considered a friend, someone she had admired. Even after her bodyguard turned her back on their companionship, she couldn't bring herself to do the same.
This was it, she knew. This was the trial her creator had promised her on the day she was born. The duel would speak for itself, her loss would simultaneously declare her guilty of incompetence—guilty of humanity—and set her free from this role, allowing her to rest.
Once upon a time, Furina had dreamed of a freedom in which she would walk amongst the people and be recognised as the human she was. She would be truthful, create genuine bonds with others, and never again feel loneliness. Now, Furina knew this was but a dream. Even if she managed to walk free after being exposed as a false Archon, the truth of her deception would forever taint her, keeping people from getting close. There was nothing but more solitude and suffering after the curtain call.
No, it was better dying here and now, by the hands of her beloved Champion Duelist and by the orders of the Iudex, her longest and dearest companion. Death was a kind of freedom, after all, and it was most fitting that her main protectors of this generation would be the ones setting her free. She took another deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
“Lady Furina, if you may move to the defendant's chair, we will begin with the trial,” Neuvillette's impassive voice cut through her thoughts. Opening her eyes, she realized Clorinde was walking away.
Furina forced out a boisterous laughter with the ease of five hundred years' worth of practice. “My-my! Are you so eager to trial your god that even you are becoming presumptuous, my dear Iudex?” The actress faced Neuvillette with a raised eyebrow and the confident smirk she was known for.
If the way he was gripping his cane was any indication at all, Neuvillette was more anxious than annoyed by the interruption. Interesting. Did they expect her to follow their script? It was clear that they were hoping she would accept the trial, but hadn't they made any countermeasures in case she chose the duel? Well, that was just foolish. She had been called many things throughout the years, but never predictable.
“I'm afraid my sword is still resting in my office, but if someone may lend me one, I see no reason not to entertain such a noble audience with a duel against the most honorable Fontainian fighter. No better way to test your Archon’s virtue than having her face one of our courageous heroes,” she turned to the audience with a bright smile, extending her arms in front of her body as if embracing them all, inviting them in. “What do you say, my people? Our kind and brave hero face-to-face against an ambiguous adversary such as myself. Isn't that a performance worth your tickets?”
Engaging the audience was always a risk in these situations, but she knew these people had been invited to witness the disaster of a trap that Neuvillette and the others had prepared for her. They were eager to see Furina as a villain who would be getting what she deserved, and the average Fontainian had a weak spot for stories about the hero overcoming the villain. So, she only had to sell Clorinde as the hero, which wasn't a hardship as the woman was famous for being strong, honorable, and beautiful.
The audience, of course, responded with their enthusiastic applause. Yes, if there was one thing she had learned during her life was to give the people what they wanted without forsaking her interests. She might not be a god, but she had been their Archon for long enough to know who the people she was serving were.
There was a hint of fear in Clorinde’s eyes and stiffness on her shoulders when she turned toward her. The duelist quickly exchanged looks with Neuvillette, and Furina figured they had indeed failed to make countermeasures for the eventuality of her accepting the duel. Good.
It was her right to fight for her honor, so they would need to abandon their whole plan if they wanted to prevent the duel from happening, which would cause some damage on the Iudex's image. They could attempt to pressure Furina into giving up the duel by pushing her persecutor—whoever they were—into the role of a hero and making the public pressure her into the trial. However, that approach required her to play by their rules and accept the public's wishes. There was nothing they could legally do to stop the duel from happening.
“Are you certain this is what you want?” Neuvillette asked after a few seconds of hesitation, but Furina just nodded. She had already said what she wished to him and wouldn't risk betraying her excitement at the prospect of being free. Refusing to look again towards the Iudex or her opponent in the duel, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked down to give the impression she was deep in thought as she waited for someone to find her a weapon.
Neuvillette dared not asking her if she wanted a doctor or a second, knowing that she would refuse since any of the people she could have asked might be involved in the scheme. It was her right, as he knew she was aware of, but even if Furina had anyone she could call, the positions were unnecessary in the face of her goal.
Despite everything, she felt oddly at peace now that she had decided it was time for her curtain call; her mind was serene, and her body relaxed in a way she had no recollection of ever feeling. Furina was certain that her mirror-self was prepared for the eventuality of a duel rather than a trial. So, all she needed to do was to buy some time until her reflection was able to react to this turn of events and do her part, whatever it was.
She noticed that the Traveler and her companion were talking in whispered tones with Clorinde and the President of the Spina di Rosula. Furina identified her name a few times in that conversation, but couldn't be bothered to try eavesdropping. Her smile grew at the sight of her former bodyguard talking to the girl who had been her childhood friend, with no animosity between them. After many years at odds, they were finally amending their friendship. Furina's heart soared with joy. Clorinde deserved that happiness. She only hoped her mirror-self could salvage the situation so the duelist had time to enjoy it.
Furina was pulled from her musings when Aeife approached her and handed her the box where she usually kept her sword. With care, Furina kneeled and placed the box on the ground so she could open it. Her eyes soon fell on Hauteclaire, the weapon Egeria had given to Furina's creator, who then passed it to the actress. Perhaps, she had foreseen that duel, after all. The weapon was beautiful and emitted a pure Hydro energy that Furina associated with the image on the other side of the mirror. Her creator, the author of her script, her director, her mother. I hope I've made you proud in the last five hundred years, Mirror-Me.
“Thank you,” she offered Aeife a genuine smile. The Melusine had worry in her eyes, but she dared not question the god or the Iudex she served. Furina wondered if she was connected to their plan. Since it was crafted by Neuvillette and involved a trial, Furina guessed the guards stationed at the Opera Epiclese that day likely knew about it. It didn't matter, either way. They were Neuvillette's people from the beginning.
After Furina took the sword in her hand, Aeife quickly picked up the box and took it with her. On the other hand, the actress rose to her feet and began testing if the sword still fitted her with a few theatrical sequences. Yes, it weighed a little more than the ideal for her current physical strength, but it was good enough for her to put up a good show. Depending on how conflicted the duelist was, Furina might keep up with Clorinde for a few minutes.
The guards moved around Furina to prepare the stage; the first two rows of seats were vacated so the opponents were more comfortable using their elemental powers. Not that Furina had any of her own, but it wasn't like anyone knew that.
“I'm afraid I still don't know the accusations against me,” while she projected her voice to fill the entire room, the actress kept her eyes focused on her blade, still refusing to look straight at the people around her. “After all, it's the right of the defender to know what charges they are answering for— and I think this trial is unlawful enough.”
There was a pause before Lumine answered her with a conviction that scared Furina even more than the words themselves, “I'm charging you as a fraud pretending to be the Archon.” It was her worst nightmare coming together: everyone finding out she was a human and turning their backs on her. Suddenly, this whole trap made sense.
Furina didn't fancy her chances in a trial when they had so much time to prepare. She had tried covering all of her tracks, but there were several slips throughout the centuries that the people didn't notice because the notion that she wasn't an Archon was just too absurd for them. A Traveler who had met other Archons would likely know better, and, allying with Clorinde and Neuvillette, who were always around her, they could use anything.
Of course, the duel would also unmask her, but at least it would be on her terms. Furina was quite done with this endless suffering. “I believe that would actually constitute identity theft and forgery charges, but I suppose you might be able to push a sentence for fraud.” The woman walked back and forth and switched her sword from one hand to the other a few times, pretending to ponder it. It was, of course, just an excuse for her to show off her apparent calm.
Furina shook her head, and her smile widened with genuine amusement. An unlawful trial arranged by the Iudex and acknowledged by the God of Justice. It was indeed funny that they had to break the law to establish justice in the face of a prophecy. It served to show how complex the entire concept of justice was. Well, at least the discrepancy between law and justice was useful to Furina. “This shall be indeed a show to be remembered,” she grinned at the audience and slowly lowered her blade until the tip touched the ground.
The melusines were taking their sweet time relocating the audience in the first and second rows of seats. She had seen enough trials to know they were reluctant, their actions hesitant and slower than usual. However, after centuries coexisting with them, Furina couldn't even trick herself into thinking they were worried about her. She knew they were only picking on the Iudex's feelings, noticing that he would feel guilty if something happened to her or Clorinde during the duel. The melusines were gentle beings, but Furina didn't believe they were particularly fond of her.
When the noise around her finally settled, Furina raised her eyes and watched Clorinde marching toward the center of the stage. “We are ready to proceed with the duel between the Champion Duelist Clorinde and Lady Furina de Fontaine, defending her honor against the accusations of identity theft and fraud. Take your positions.”
Clorinde raised her sword high and far from her body, pointing at Furina. To the uninitiated, this might look like an offensive stance, but Furina knew this was the best one to keep an opponent away. It was but a show of the duelist's hesitancy. With a sigh, the actress moved her feet slightly apart and bent her knees, but kept Hauteclaire low to save her energy for the combat.
“Begin,” the words were almost redundant as they were followed by the impact of Neuvillette's cane with the ground, much louder and striking.
Furina wasn't surprised when Clorinde didn't move. The mark of a good duelist was their patience and caution when fighting an unknown opponent. Furina knew she wasn't anywhere near good enough to force the woman into recklessness with her skills as a fighter, so her best option was feigning incompetence at first but showing her skill little by little to create a constant sense of uneasiness on Clorinde until she gave her the opening to move into a lethal hit.
So, with the sloppiness of an amateur fighter, she stepped in and crashed Hauteclaire against Clorinde’s sword from below using as much strength as she could muster, causing an impact that made both weapons wobble. The duelist's grip was firm, so she easily moved her sword to a higher and closer guard, stepping back to get out of Furina's reach. The actress almost lost her grip on the handle and was forced to use her left hand to steady her weapon.
“My Lady—” Clorinde’s first words to Furina since she had accepted the duel were broken with more emotion than she had ever seen expressed in the woman's face before. Was she scared after realizing the implications of such an inept opponent choosing to fight? Because bad fighters only ever chose that course of action when they were guilty, had a death wish, or both.
Furina only grinned and launched another attack as soon as she recovered a little of her balance. This time, she theatrically swung her sword towards Clorinde’s right side, but the duelist blocked it with minimal movement, pushing Hauteclaire away with her sword before using her foot to push Furina back and away from her. This time, the actress’ sword fell beside her when she landed on her back, her chest aching wonderfully in the place Clorinde had hit her.
“Lady Furina, what are you doing?” Busy recovering her breath and getting back to her feet, Furina didn't bother answering Neuvillette's panicky question. He had watched too many duels and could see that she was throwing the duel, but even the Iudex wasn't allowed to interfere.
By watching Clorinde, Furina noticed as she exchanged looks with the Iudex. They had a solid guess about her end goal, alright. When the duelist turned her eyes towards the actress, Furina launched into a sequence she had learned a few centuries ago from one of her bodyguards.
It wasn't perfect. Not only did she not have the stamina required to keep it up for too long at its usual pace, but also because Hauteclaire was too heavy for her current physical strength. Despite that, she had the element of surprise since nobody knew the extent of her skills. In addition to that, the sequence was old enough that she was fairly certain the only people in that room who might know it were Neuvillette, the melusines, and herself.
Furina started it out with the showy weak blows that usually served to test the opponents. However, she increased their speed, strength, and precision at each new movement. At first, Clorinde remained defensive as she attempted to get a feel of the actress's skill. But at the realization that Furina could hold her own, the duelist started fighting back in an attempt to force her into submission.
Time lost its meaning as they danced around each other under the melody of their clashing blades and the rhythm of their beating hearts. Nothing in the world existed but them. To Furina, it was an endless fight against the limitations of her body, unfit for such a workout. By the end of her first sequence, she was forcing herself to ignore the burning sensation in her muscles.
The actress knew that the only reason why this fight wasn't over in seconds was because Clorinde had been controlling her strength and precision not to hurt her further than a few bumps and superficial scratches. On the back of her mind, she wondered why Clorinde was so determined not to hurt her. Not because she cares about you, Furina reminded herself.
It was only when Furina's blade nicked her upper arm, drawing the first blood, and the actress still didn't stop her attacks that Clorinde lost her focus and made the mistake Furina was eagerly waiting for. When she thrust her blade with more strength than she had intended, Furina lined her body so it would hit across her chest. Finally!
Clorinde's face contorted in horror as she stepped back, leaving her blade behind to keep the bleeding from worsening. With a sigh of relief and exhaustion, Furina released Hauteclaire and wrapped her hands on the handle of Clorinde’s sword, swiftly removing it before anyone could react.
“No!” The duelist yelled as Furina let the sword fall beside her, and blood rushed from the wound. The actress paid no mind to her as she tried to recall the timing after the blade removal, but it was getting more and more difficult to focus on it at the sight of an increasing amount of blood on her feet.
As she wobbled forward, Furina was caught by strong arms and carefully lowered to the ground. Her vision came in and out of focus when she turned her head and met Clorinde’s desperate expression. The actress hissed in pain when small hands pressed against her chest, but instantly regretted the action when she started coughing and her mouth was overwhelmed with the taste of blood.
“Hold her still so I can heal the wound, Clorinde, Lumine,” the voice was familiar, but Furina couldn't quite place it, and as she felt the duelist's hold become firmer but no less gentle, and someone else—the Traveler—trapping her lower body against the ground.
“Wai—” she started, but fell into a new fit of coughing and had to spit the excess blood in her mouth. She tried to kick the Traveler and untangle her arms from Clorinde’s grip, but the two fighters were much stronger than Furina could ever hope to be. As the tiny hands’ pressure against her chest increased and she felt the wound closing, the world swirled around her, the floor waved against her legs, the noise became oddly muted, and, finally, her vision faded into black.